Lincoln needs academic not executioner

Lincoln needs academic not executioner

Lincoln University’s advert for a new vice-chancellor calls for ‘superior execution skills’ but no mention at all of academic knowledge.

TEU national president Sandra Grey says Lincoln’s hunt for a vice-chancellor highlights just how removed some of our tertiary institutions have become from their core task of education.

"Last year the Press dubbed former vice-chancellor Andy West the smiling assassin. Nevertheless, it seems astonishing that the university is following that appointment up by advertising for business execution skills rather than someone who has a background teaching and researching in a university," says Grey.

The advertisement talks about someone with excellent partnering skills.

"Lincoln wants this Casanova to enter multiple relationships with industry, but it makes no mention of collegial relationships with staff and students," says Grey.

"Neither is there any mention of vice-chancellor understanding the critic and conscience function legislated for New Zealand universities or the institution’s Treaty Partnership responsibilities."

Grey says Lincoln’s job advertisement suggests it has forgotten what a university is.

"Successful businesses would not accept such jargon about ‘Transformational leadership’ and shaping ‘a future-focused culture’. So why do our universities and polytechnics persist with this failed pseudo-business culture of decades past? Their most important job is simply to teach and research, not to waffle on in meaningless business-speak."

ENDS

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